Crane



May 8, 194 5. 5, WILSON 2,375,337

CRANE Filed Oct. 27,1943 I 4 Sheets-Shawl; 1

I N V E N T0 R SYDNEY \IVILso/v FI T'T'ORNEY May 8, 1945. g 2,375,337

CRANE 4 Filed Oct. 27, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR SYDNEY Wusoav I kITTORNEY 5. WILSON May 8, 1945.

CRANE Filed Oct. 27, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VE N TOR 5mm? mzsou mum $7M HTTORNEY Patented May8, 1945 I CRANE Sydney Wilson, London, England Application mm :1, 194:, Serial No. scum In Great Britain November-4, 1942 4 Claims.

This invention relates to lifting cranes or hoists.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a crane which, in addition to the usual Jib and hoist or pulley block, is provided with means whereby articles such as packing cases, as well as loose materials, may be quickly and efflciently lifted and stacked mechanically.

It is another object of the invention to provide a crane or hoist having a skip movable along the jib and in which its movement is controlled and effected by the means controlling the hoist block.

. It is a further object of the invention to provide a crane or hoist wherein the skip may be locked in any desired position to permit raising or lowering of the hoist block.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a skip which may be angularly ad- Justed at will for loading or unloading.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby the hoist block can be coupled to the skip to increase the lifting capacity thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a crane or hoist having means for tipping articles to facilitate the passage therebeneath of the skip during loading.

It is another object of the invention to provide a crane or hoist having a pivoted Jib which may be lufled to any desired inclination and having an anguiarly adjustable skip or tray movable therealong.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision of a skip which is readily detachable from the jib and attachable to the hoist block.

Other objects and advantages offthe invention will be readily apparent from the following description of some preferred embodiments ,thereof, reference being made therein to the annexed drawings.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment .of crane according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 1';

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the reeving arrangement for luillng the jib and raising Fig. 9 is a detail view of a part of Fig. 1 showing a modification;

Fig. 10 is a detail view of a part of Fig. 1 showing a further modification;

Fig. 11 is a detail view of a part of Fig. 1 showing a still further modification, and;

Fig. 12 isa diagram of a part of the reeving arrangement of Fig.- 5 showing a modification.

The crane or hoist in accordance with the invention may comprise a frame or chassis mounted on road wheels or tracks and carrying a Jib which supports a hoist or pulley block. Alternatively the crane may be mounted on a tractor of any appropriate kind. The jib may be of rigid construction or may comprise two pivotally connected portions of which the lower is secured in a generally vertical position to the chassis. In

the case of a pivoted Jib, this is capable of being as The lower fixed part of the Jib is preferably Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the reeving of such height as to accommodate a skip or tray adapted to travel up and down the jib. Movement of the skip is effected under control of the operator from a motor which conveniently is also arranged to drive the road wheels or tracks, said motor being coupled to a shaft to which may be clutched a drum having connected thereto a cable passing around a system of pulleys on the hoist block and on a carriage supporting the skip, the cable being anchored at any suitable position. The provision of a single cable for raising and lowering the skip and the hoist block considerably facilitates the control of said members. Lumng of the jib is eflected under control of the operator from the motor by means of a cable secured at one endto the lib and at the other to a second drum also arranged to :be clutched to the drum shaft.

The skip is supported on the carriage for upward or downward tilting movement and is. preferably constructed in the form of a shovel or scoop so that it may be employed to pick up both loose materials and articles of numerous kinds, such as packing cases. An arm may be attached to the skip to abut the upper ends of the articles on forward movement of the crane and thereby tilt them forwardly to enable the skip to pass beneath them. The angular position of theskip is controlled by the operator by means 01' a chain and sprocket system, the chain passing about a ,2 chain wheel on the skip and about other chain wheels on the jib and chassis and having its ends anchored to the carriage. Braking means associated with one or more of the chain wheels and a floating or movable chain wheel enable the effective length of the chain to be increased or decreased to incline the skip upwardly or downwardly.

The drum shaft is coupled to the motor for rotation in one direction or the other in accord-' ance with the requirements by means of clutches controlled by a directional selector lever and other levers are provided for controlling the ca- .ble drums.

Preferably the arrangement is such that in one direction of rotation of the drum shaft the crane can be driven forwardly, .the jib can be lufied forwardly and the hoist block and/or skip raised, these operations, if desired, being carried out concurrently; while in the reverse direction of rotation of the drum shaft the crane can be driven rearwardly, the jib luffed rearwardly, and the hoist block and/or skip lowered. A reversible electric motor may be emi ployed to drive the drum shaft, the clutches and jthe directional selector lever in thiscase being dispensed with,

Referring now to the drawings and more especially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, l designates a chassis which is supported at its forward end I on a pair of road wheels II and at itsrear end by a power operated road wheel l2. The wheels l2 may, if desired, be replaced by sprockets about which caterpillar or crawler tracks are The chassis it towards its rear end carries a motor l3 which drives a couhtershaft |4 journalled in bearings l5 on the chassis through the medium of a roller chain It passing around chain wheels I8 on the motor and countershaft respectively. Mounted at opposite ends of the countershaft H are a pair of clutches I9, by

. which the drive from the motor I3 is transmitted to a second shaft 2| referred to hereinafter as ,the drum shaft and journalled in bearings 22 on the chassis. As shown, the clutches I9, 20,

, which are so arranged that when one is in the operative position the other is inoperative, serve to drive the drum shaft in opposite directions, to which end one clutch I9 is connected to said drum shaft bychain and sprocket gear 23 and the other clutch 2|) is'connected to said shaft by pinion gears 24, 25 respectively secured to the clutch 20 and the drum shaft. Operation of the ,clutches is controlled by a directional selector lever 26 mounted on the chassis adjacent the operator's seat 21.

Rotational movement of the drum shaft in either direction as determined by the setting of .the directional selector lever 25 is transmitted to the driving road wheel 12 as by means of a sprocket 28 on the drum shaft, from which a fchain: 29 passes around a sprocket 30 on a traction countershaft 3|, journalled in bearings 32 The shaft 3| the crane may be moved forwardly or rearwardly, or alternatively held stationary irrespective of jany other operations, controlled through the i clutches l9 and 20, such as will hereinafter be described. The clutch 36 is controlled for example in the usual manner by a foot pedal (not shown) which may be linked to a further pedal which controls braking means associated with the front road wheels I I, the arrangement being such that actuation of the clutch pedal releases the brakes, while actuation of the brake pedal first disengages the clutch and thereafter applies the brakes. Alternatively, the brakes and clutch may be operated independently.

Secured to the forward end of the chassis is an upwardlyv extending frame member 40 to the upper end of which a jib 4|, preferably consisting of a steel frame of angle or other rolled steel sections, is pivotally attached as by means of a transverse pivot pin 42. The forward face of the frame member 40 is formed with a pair of vertical rail or track portions 43 and the Jib is formed with a similar pair of rail or track-por tions 44 co-extensive with the rail portions 43. A carriage 45 having wheels 41 thereon and supporting a tray or skip 46 is arranged to run on the rail portions 43, 44, the height of the frame member 40 being such as to accommodate the carriage 45 when the latter is in the lowermost position and at the same time allow the jib to be swung into a forwardly inclined position as shown in Fig. l.

Lufling of the jib 4| is effected by the motor |3 through the shaft 2| and its movement is controlled jointly by the directional selector lever 26 which, as previously mentioned, controls the direction or rotation of said shaft, and by an operator-controlled clutch as will now be dee scribed, Loose on the shaft 2| is a drum 50 to which is secured one end of a cable 5| passing therefrom over groups of pulleys 52, 53 mounted respectively on a braced frame structure 54 extending upwardly from the chassis and on the jib 4|. The opposite end of the cable is anchored at to the frame structure 54. Associated with the drum 50 is a clutch 6| with which is associated a brake so arranged that when the clutch is operative the brake is disengaged, while when the clutch is inoperative the brake is engaged to hold thedrum stationary. Operation of the clutch is controlled by a hand operated lever 62.

As will be understood from the foregoing engagement of the clutch 6| to couple the drum 50 to the drum shaft 2| will cause the cable 5| to swing the jib either forwardly or rearwardly about the pivot pin 42, the direction of movement of the jib being determined by the setting of the lever 26. A stop or abutment 63 on the frame 54 is provided to arrest the jib during rearward lufiing in a position where the rail portions 44 are alignedwith the rail portions 43.

Raising andlowering of the carriage 45 is also effected by the motor 3 through the drum shaft 2| and this movement of the carriage and of a hoist pulley block 64 associated with the jib may be produced by means of a single cable. As here embodied, the drum shaft 2| has loosely mounted thereon a second drum 65 which may be coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith by actuation of an operator-controlled clutch 66 similar to the clutch GI and controlled by a hand lever 6'1. Secured to the drum 65 (see also Fig. 4) is one end of a cable 68 which passes upwardly therefrom about a pulley B9 on the frame and about a further pulley l0 mounted'in a jib head bracket Illa at the free end of the jib, thence downwardly about guide pulleys 1| and a supporting pulley Ila on the carriage 45, and thereafter around pairs of pulleys 12, 13 respectively mounted in the bracket 10a and the hoist block 64, being finally anchored at its opposite end to the bracket 100. as at I4. It is important, in order to reduce as far as possible any movement of the hoist block towards or away from the jib head during luffing of the jib, that the pulley 69 be located immediately adjacent the Jib pivot pin 42. With this arrangement it will be clear that actuation of the hand lever 61 to engage the clutch 66 will,

in accordance with the setting of the directional selector lever 26, produce upward or downward travel of the carriage 45 or of the hoist block 64 rovided that the other of said members be locked against such movement. The carriage 45 is shown as fitted with wheels or rollers 41, arranged to cooperate with the tracks 49, 44 to guide the carriage during its movement on the frame member 40 and the jib 4I.

As illustrated in the drawings, the counter shaft clutch I9 determines the forward movement of the crane, raising of the pulley block 64 or the carriage 45, and outward lufilng of the jib; while the other counter shaft clutch 20 determines the rearward travel of the crane, lowering of the pulley block or the carriage and rearward or upward luillng of the jib. Thus, with the directional selector lever in a position to engage the clutch I9. the clutch 20 being then automatically disengaged, the crane may be driven forwardly upon engagement of the clutch 36. In thesame position of the directional selector lever, actuation of the hand lever 61 to engage the clutch 66, which automatically disengages the brake associated with the clutch, will raise the pulley block 64 towards its uppermost position, this block in unloaded condition being of lesser weight than the carriage 45. When the pulley block ment of the clutch 6| wil produce rearward iumng oi the jib. These operations also may becarried out singly or concurrently.

reaches its upper limit position, where it is located securely against the jib head bracket 10a, and provided that the jib track portions 44 are aligned with the track portions 49 as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, continued engagement of the clutch 66 will produce upward movement of the carriage to any desired position, in which it may then be locked by braking meansas will later be described. If the hoist block should be loaded to an extent such that its weight is in excess of that .of the carriage, the latter would commence to rise on engagement of the clutch 66, and means such as locking pins arranged to engage within apertures (not shown) in the carriage and the-frame are provided to prevent such movement of the carriage, when the latter, as shown in Fig.1, is entirely accommodated on the frame 40, thereby enabling the hoist block to be used for lifting and lowering operations. With the lever 26 still in the same position, engagement of the clutch 66 I driven rearwardly upon engagement of the clutch 36. In the same position of this lever, actuation of the hand lever 61 to engage the clutch 66 will cause the carriage to move down the jib and,

with the latter in the position shown in full l nes in Fig. 1, On to the frame member 40 until its movement is arrested at any required position thereon. Continued engagement of the clutch 66 will then lower the hoist block 64. If the hoist block only is required to operate, the carriage is looked as previously described. With the selector lever still in the same position, engage- The skip or tray 46 is shown as comprising a base portion 90, a rear wall 9| and downwardly and forwardly inclined side walls 62. The skip is supported for pivotal movement on the carriage, being fulcrummed on a pin 93 carried in brackets 94 secured to the lower end of the carriage. This pivotal movement of the skip, as will later appear, facilitates the loading and unloading of articles and materials of various kinda-enabling them to be picked up and deposited mechanically as required.

Tilting of the skip is effected in accordance with the position of the carriage 45, means being provided for maintaining the skip in any adjusted angular position during subsequent raising or lowering of the carriage. As illustrated, the skip carries at its upper end an idler chain wheel 95 (see Fig. 5) over which passes a chain 96- having one end anchored at 91 to the carriage 45. From the wheel 85 the chain is guided about idler chain wheels 86, 89 and 90 on the carriage, from whence it passes around an idler chain wheel 9I on the frame structure 54 to a control sprocket wheel 92 also mounted on the frame 54. A brake 93 is associated with the wheel 92, the brake being under the control of the operator. From the wheel 92 the chain passes about a floating idler chain wheel 94 and thence around another idler chain wheel 95 on the frame 54 and a further guide sprocket 96 on the top of the jib to an anchorage 91 on the top of the carriage. The wheel 94 is mountedin a block 98 to which is attached one end of a chain 99 which runs over a sprocket wheel I00 mounted on the frame structure .54 and having a counterweight IOI secured at its other end. A brake I02 under control of the operator is associated with the wheel Braking means are provided, as previously mentioned, by which the carriage may be locked in any desired position on the jib and, in the embodiment illustrated, such braking means comprise the brakes 93 and I 02 by which the sprocket wheels 92 and I00 may be locked to prevent movement of the chains 86 and 99. This enables the skip to be employed, for example, as a stationary platform for workmen engaged on overhead work, while the hoist block may be used for raising or lowering material as required. If the crane should .be moving with a load suspended from thehoist block, the load may be prevented from swinging by supporting it on the skip or, alternatively, by raising the hoist block to its uppermost position.

To tilt the skip into an upwardly inclined position about the pivot pin 93 the brake 93 is applied to lock the sprocket wheel 92 and the brake I02 associated with the chain wheel I00 is released. The directional selector lever 26 is then moved to engage the clutch i9 and, with the hoist block 64 in its uppermost position, actuation of the lever 61 will raise the carriage 45 as previously described with the result that the skip will be rocked in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1. During this operation the counter-weight IOI drops and thereby moves the block towards the right to take up the slack in that portion of the chain 06 between the sprocket wheel 92 and the anchorage 91. When the desired angular adjustment of the skip has been reached, the skip is secured in this position by application of the counter-weight chain wheel brake I02 and lower end of the carriage. pivotally carried on a rod II4 supported in verrelease of the control chain wheel brake 93. This enables any shortening or lengthening of that portion of the chain 86 between the sprocket wheel 82 and the anchorage 81 due respectively toupward or downward movement of the carriage to be taken up by the other portion of said chain, the block 38 being held stationary.

Tilting of the skip into a downwardly inclined position may be effected by a similar operation to that described above for tilting the skip upwardly, but with the diflerence that in this case the carriage 45 is lowered. Thus, engagement of the'control chain wheel brake 93 and .release of the counter-weight chain wheel brake I02, followed by downward movement of the skip will result in lengthening of that portion of the chain 86 between the anchorage 81 and the chain wheel 90, thereby permitting the wheel 85 to move to left in Fig. 1 so that the skip will swing in a counter-clockwise direction about the pivot pin 83. sired angular position by releasing the brake 93 and applying the brake I02, thereby enabling the carriage to be raised or lowered without affecting the inclination of the skip.

While this is the preferred method of operation for downwardly inclining the skip, since it provides for controlled discharge of articles or materials carried thereby, this tilting operation maybeelfected merely by disengaging both brakes 33 and I02, application of either brake arresting the skip when it has reached the desired angular position. This method, however, depends on gravity and is not controlled.

When the skipisin'its lowermost position with its forward edge portion on the ground, or at any other level where its forward edge is supported, such as on a loading deck or the tail board of a lorry, downward tilting of the skip may be effected by releasing the brakes 93 and I02 and raising the carriage 45. With this method tilting is controlled in accordance with the upward speed of the carriage. Since the leading edge of the skip gradually moves rearwardly during the tilting operation, this method may be preferred for offloading purposes.

In order to raise heavy loads by means of the skip, the carriage may be provided with a shackle I05 (Fig. 6) to which the hoist block hook I08 may be attached. If, for example, the pulley block is reeved, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, for four falls of cable and the carriage for two falls, attachment of the hoist block hook I06 to the carriage will provide for hoisting on six falls, with a, corresponding increase in lifting capacity.

Figs. 6, '7 and 8 illustrate in detail the removable mounting of the skip on the carriage. As shown, the skip 48 has extending rearwardly therefrom and towards its lower end a pair of brackets IIO shaped to rest on the pivot pin 83, which is supported in the brackets 84 on the A pair of latches I I3 tical bars II5 which are rockably mounted at their lower ends on the pin 83, serve to retain the skip in the desired position in relation to the bars I I5. These bars carry between them a spindle IIS on which the aforesaid chain wheel 85 is supported.

It will thus be seen that tilting of the skip is produced by rocking the bars II5 about the pin 83 by means of the chain 86. To disconnect the skip, the latches are rocked upwardly, as shown in Fig. 7, when the skip can be released by lowering the carriage, the skip then resting The skip may then be secured in the deon the ground with the brackets IIO disengaged from the pin 83. The-crane may then be moved rearwardly clear of the skip. The inner faces of the brackets IIO are preferably tapered as at I" to facilitate re-engagement of the skip.

Although the pivotally mounted jib has obvious advantages, the jib may, however, be fixed as'shown in Fig. 9. In this case the jib head bracket 10a of the first embodiment described may be forwardly extended as at I20 and carries at its free end further pulleys I2I from which.

the hoist block is suspended. With a fixed, lib of this kind the jib lufiing mechanism is unnecessary.

While, in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,the jib is movable between a rear vertical position and a forwardly inclined position, it may be desirable to mount the jib for rearward lufli into a horizontal or substantially horizontal posi-.

tion above the crane. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 10. In this modified arrangement a chain I23 attached to the jib at a point I24 substantially removed from the pivot pin 83 runs over a sprocket wheel I25 with which is associated a brake I26, the chain having attached thereto at its other end a counter-weight I2'I. Also attached to the jib, at a point intermediate the point I24 and the pivot pin 85, is an arm I28 which passes through a guide block I28 pivotally mounted on the frame structure 54. The jib lufling cable 5I in this case passes from the drum 50 over a pulley I30 coaxial with the pivotal axis of the guide block I29 and thence around a pulley I3I on the free end of the arm I28. It will thus be seen that actuation of the drum to wind in the cable will cause the arm I28 to raise the jib from its rearmost position, as shown in full lines,

tions 43 in this case being of substantially greater;

height than is necessary only to accommodate the skip carriage. In order to avoid slackness in the hoist cable 68 when the skip is positioned on the frame member 40, the guide pulleys II are carried in a separate bogey I35 arranged to travel on the jib, said bogey being held at the lower or pivoted end of the jib when the skip carriage is on the fixed rail portions 43.

Fig. 12 illustrates an alternative arrangement for producing tilting movement of the skip. In this arrangement the floating chain wheel 34 is mounted in the end of a lever I40 fulcrummed at MI in the frame 54 and having secured to its other end a counter-weight I42. The angular position of the lever about its pivot is determined by a quadrant I43 secured to the frame 54 and a pin I44 or the like on the lever adapted to be engaged within one of a plurality of apertures I45 in the quadrant.

In order that the skip 46 may pick up auto-, matically such articles as packing cases, an arm I 40 (Figs. 1 and 2) is pivotally attachedas at I4I to the carriage 45. A ring I42 secured to the arm I4I intermediate its ends enables the latter to be supported in a substantially horizontal position by the hoist block 64,.or in any other anpropriate position where its forward end is slightly below the top of the article :r. The skip is thentilted downwardly, its leading edge being somewhat behind the front end of the arm. Upon forward movement of the crane, the arm engages the article and rocks it to an extent sufficient to enable the skip to pass underneath. The hoist block is then partially lowered and the crane again moved forward, these operations being repeated in sequence until the article is in a stable position on the skip. The arm I40 is then disconnected from the hoist blockvand assumes a, substantially vertical position against rear wall of the ski while the hoist block may be returned to its uppermost position or, alternatively, connected to the carriage, as described hereinbefore.

When the skip is detached from the carriage as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 it may be attached to he hoist block 64 by engagement of the hook I06 with an inverted L-shaped yoke I 45 carrying a bar I46 which coop rates with the brackets H0. An abutment M1 on the yoke prevents the latter tilting about the bar I46 when the hoist block is raised. l

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A crane comprising in combination a frame, fixed rail portions on said frame, a jib pivotally supported on the frame and having rail portions coextensive with said fixed rail portions, a skip movable on said rail portions, means operable to raise and lower the skip, other means operable to swing the jib between a position in which the rail portions thereof are aligned with the fixed rail portions and a position in which said rail portions are relatively angularly inclined, each of said means comprising a cable, a drum for actuating the cable, reversible driving means for said drums, and means for holding either of said drums against rotation with said driving means.

2. A crane comprising in combination a frame,

a jib, rail portions on the frame and jib, a carriage movable on said rail portions, a skip pivotally supported on said carriage, means for retaining the skip in angularly adjusted position, and means on said frame projecting forwardly therefrom above the skip to engage and tilt articles away from the skip thereby to permit the passage of the skip beneath said articles on forward movement of the crane.

3. In a crane, a frame, rails carried by the frame, a jib supported on the frame, rails carried by the jib aligned with the rails carried by the frame, a carriage movable on said rails, a skip pivoted to the carriage, a power driven'drum.

a cable attached to said drum, pulleys can'ied by the top portion of the jib, a pulley carried by said carriage, a hoist block, and said cable being trained over the pulleys on the jib, the pulleys on the carriage, and the pulleys on the hoist block for lifting the carriage and the hoist block.

4. In a crane, a frame, a jib, guide rails carried by the frame, guide rails carried by the jib aligned with the first guide rails, a carriage movable on said guide rails, a skip pivotable on said carriage. a pulley wheel rotatably mounted on the skip above the pivot mounting thereof, a second pulley Wheel rotatably mounted on the carriage, a third pulley wheel rotatably mounted on the jib, a fourth pulley wheel rotatably mounted on the frame below the third pulley wheel, a rotatable bodily movable pulley wheel, means biasing the movable pulley wheel away from the third and the fourth pulley wheels, a flexible band attached to the carriage adjacent the first pulley wheel and trained about all of said pulley wheels and attached to said carriage adjacent the second pulley wheel, and means for maintaining the bodily movable pulley wheel in an adjusted position to maintain the band taut during movement of the skip with the carriage.

SYDNEY WILSON. 

